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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · vault · calf · staff · band · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bank — of a river
  14. staff — a stick
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com